My Daily Eucharist - Reflection for December 13, 2014 St. John Chrysostom wrote a remarkable passage in which he brought out the intimate connection between the Eucharistic Body of Christ and the Mystical Body which is the Church. Speaking of the precious vessels of the altar and of the other liturgical objects by which we surround the Blessed Sacrament with honor, the Greek Father pointed out that it was even more important to honor the body of Christ by giving alms to poor. In this way, we are not only doing good to Him in the person of the poor, but we are making our own souls into sacred vessels of gold which give Him great glory: If you wish to honor the Eucharistic Victim, offer your own soul for which the Victim was immolated. Make your soul all of gold. If your soul remains viler than lead or clay, what good does it do to have a golden chalice... ? Do you wish to honor the Body of Christ? Then do not disdain Him when you see Him in rags. After having honored Him in Church with silken vestments do not leave Him to die of cold outside for lack of clothing. For it is the same Jesus Who says This is my Body and Who says You saw me hungry and did not give me to eat–What you have refused to the least of these my little ones, you have refused it to me. The Body of Christ in the Eucharist demands pure souls, not costly garments... Peter thought he was honoring his Master by not letting the Lord wash his feet; and yet it was just the opposite. Give Him then the honor which He Himself has asked for, by giving your money to the poor. Once again, what God wants is not golden chalices, but golden souls (St. John Chrysostom, Homily 50 on St. Matthew, 3). The Living Bread Thomas Merton
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 12:07:05 +0000
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